003

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Selena's untimely passing, fans can flock to Corpus Christi the weekend of April 17-18 for the Fiesta de la Flor festival.

The first time I heard of Selena y Los Dinos, immediately I asked, “Since when did Fred Flintstone’s dog have a band?” Little did I realize Selena was the hottest act in Tejano music and had developed quite an international following.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of her untimely passing, fans can flock to Corpus Christi the weekend of April 17-18 for the Fiesta de la Flor festival. Headlining Friday night’s music are Grammy winners Los Lobos, while platinum-selling AB Quintanilla y Los Kumbia King Allstarz and legendary Little Joe y La Familia round out Saturday night’s entertainment. Other performers include notable Tejano artists Jay Perez and Los Palominos and rocker Chris Perez.

The longer I worked in Pearsall, the more I grew to appreciate her music. I had the opportunity to interview Selena in 1992 after her performance at the Wishing Well. But unfortunately, I fell ill and had to cancel the interview. To this day I could kick myself for the missed chance.

Two years later, I redeemed myself as destiny finally brought us together at the Tejano Music Awards at the Alamodome. I met Selena and had my photo taken with her too. We shared a pivotal, unforgettable moment together, at least in my mind, anyway.

I was also fortunate to attend the private screening of the bio pic Selena and hang out with cast and crew at the after-party at then legendary nightclub Planeta Mexico. I followed the glitterati onto the red carpet and hundreds of flashbulbs illuminated the night skies. No one knew who the hell I was, but I didn’t care. I was on the red carpet and nothing else mattered.

In 2005, I joined 70,000 of my closest friends at Houston’s Reliant Stadium for Selena ¡VIVE! The legendary concert paid homage to her music and her legacy with cover performances by Latin superstars such as Thalia, Fey, Paulina Rubio and Alexandra Guzman. Even Selena film star Jennifer Lopez expressed her sentiments via satellite.

For ticket info and further event details, visit www.fiestadelaflor.com.

Selena taught us how to dance, how to live and most importantly how to love. Gracias por todos los fotos y recuerdos.